Israel has got involved in the conflict in Syria. On January 30th its air forces carried out a strike on a scientific-research centre in a suburb of Damascus. As a result, two people were killed and several wounded, the Syrian State Television reported. Israel’s Foreign Minister spokesman refused to comment on this report.

Israel informed the U.S. in advance of the preparations for an attack on Syria. A relevant statement was made by “The New York Times” with a reference to U.S. officials.

For its part, “The Washington Post”, citing sources in the Syrian opposition, said that a centre for the development of chemical weapons had been bombed. Of interest here is the fact that other sources in the Syrian opposition have claimed credit for the above-mentioned attack, accusing the authorities of disinformation. There is also one more version saying that it was a convoy near the Syrian-Lebanese border, not the research center, that came under attack. This convoy, allegedly, was supplying the Hezbollah militants in Lebanon with arms.

This was the first but not the last strike on Syria.

Outside interference in the conflict in Syria is strengthening. Israel hit Syria immediately after 6 Patriot missile air defense systems were deployed in Turkey on its border with Syria.

There is no doubt that all this may finally lead to a grandiose chaos in the Middle East. Syria is the heart of the Arab world. Thus, the worse the situation in Syria is the worse it is for the region at large. In case of a chaos the situation in Syria will become uncontrollable, and neither international forces nor any means would be of help there.

Then this chaos will spread to Lebanon and Central Iraq, and what will emerge will be a gigantic hotbed of instability and an enclave of terrorism the world will have to fight against in the future.

On top of that, an attack on the targets in a sovereign state that was not triggered should be regarded as a gross violation of the UN Charter.

UN chief concerned over Israeli air-strike on Syria

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon is deeply concerned by reports of Israeli airstrikes on Syria.
As previously announced, on Wednesday, fighter jets of the Israeli Air Force attacked a scientific research center in the suburbs of Damascus.

Two people were killed in the attack and several more were injured.

Meanwhile, the international media, citing various sources, reported that the Israeli aircraft may not have been targeting the research center but rather a convoy near the Syrian-Lebanese border, which they say was delivering weapons to Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

Israel has refused to comment on the actions of its aircraft.

UN forces stationed in the Golan Heights have not confirmed the Israeli air-strike citing poor weather conditions in the region.

Syria's foreign ministry on Thursday lodged an official complaint with the United Nations over what it says was an Israeli air strike on a military research centre near Damascus, a report said.

Though Israel and Syria are technically still at war, the ministry's complaint evoked a 1974 disengagement agreement between the neighbours.

Syria says could make 'surprise' response to Israel strike

Syria's ambassador to Lebanon said on Thursday that Damascus had the option of a "surprise decision" to respond to what it said was an Israeli air strike on a research center on the outskirts of the Syrian capital on Wednesday.

Syria could take "a surprise decision to respond to the aggression of the Israeli warplanes," Ali Abdul Karim Ali was quoted as telling a Hezbollah-run news website.

"Syria is engaged in defending its sovereignty and its land," he added, without spelling out what the response might entail. Syria and Israel have fought several wars and in 2007 Israeli jets bombed a suspected Syrian nuclear site, without retaliation.

Iran threatens Israel over strike on Syria

Iran has threatened Israel, warning there would be “serious consequences” for a reported attack on a military research center in Damascus.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said Tel Aviv would face repercussions for the Israeli airstrike against a military research center in Jamraya, rural Damascus.

Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdul-Karim Ali says Damascus has "the option and the surprise to retaliate." There were no details on when the retaliation would be, only saying that the relevant authorities would be tasked with preparing for it.

Secretary General of the League of Arab States Nabil Elaraby has condemned an airstrike on a scientific center in Damascus’s suburb, allegedly made by Israel.

Mr. Elarabi called this strike “a violation of a country’s sovereignty and an aggression” and said that “Israel was trying to take advantage of the instable situation in Syria”.

The air attack took place on Wednesday. However, some sources say that the attackers were aiming not at the scientific center, but at a group of militants who were trying to cross the Syrian-Lebanese border in order to deliver weapons to terrorists from the Hezbollah group in Lebanon.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has issued a statement expressing deep concern over Israel's airstrike on Syria saying that it violates the UN Charter. Russian diplomats are taking urgent measures to clarify the situation and to establish the details of the incident.

If this information is confirmed that would mean that we have to deal with unprovoked attacks on the territory of a sovereign state which is inadmissible, whatever objectives are declared as a justification.

Russia has again called upon the international community to stop the violence in Syria, prevent foreign intervention in the conflict, and assist the start of a nationwide dialogue based on the Geneva agreements.